Renowned for incredible playability and sustain.Jackson' SL1 USA Soloist guitar is constructed with alder body wings on a heelless thru-body maple neck, with fast-action profile and compound-radius, bound ebony 24-fret fingerboard for uniquely stunning looks, performance and sound. The SL1 is loaded with Seymour Duncan pickups and Floyd Rose Original tremolo for superior tone and tuning stability. Jackson's compound-radius fingerboard features a more dramatic curve at the nut for smooth chording, and flattens out towards the neck joint for excellent low-action playability and extreme note bending without fretting out. Use the drop-down menu above to choose colors and other options.

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For products over $200, No Lemon Policy applies. If it fails for the same defect 3 times, it is replaced on the 4th breakdown. (Does not apply to failures due to drops, spills, and cracks)

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I bought my SL-1 in 1995. Little did I know how good this guitar was. The pick ups back then where a Bill Lawerence XL-500 bridge, @ 2 jackson designed single...Read complete review

I bought my SL-1 in 1995. Little did I know how good this guitar was. The pick ups back then where a Bill Lawerence XL-500 bridge, @ 2 jackson designed single coils. Pretty lame combo. Over the years I tried many different pickups before settling on my final configuration of a Dimazario X2N bridge and 2 Dimarzio HS3. This is the perfect setup for this guitar. A steve vai( he used X2N early in his career) and 2 Malmsteens (again early in his career). The pick ups work well together, no volumne drops or jumps. My guitar is fine blue metallic over white. Very durable finish,it still looks brand new 17 years later. Frets have almost no wear on them,very hard. Flawless fret work,not a single dead spot.I installed gibson volume and tone pots, switched to strat knobs and reversed the position of the volume and tone. Rolling the tone is more important than volume.I also ran a ground wire from my pot to the tremelo spring claw to eliminate hum when not touching the floyd. Over the years I have owned countless guitars from every brand and none have surpassed the Jackson for ease of playability. This will be one of your fastest. My 2012 Les Paul custom classic is just as fast but with a different feel. I really enjoy going back and forth between them. Guitars come and go but after 17 years nothing has dethroned the Jackson and never will. ITS THAT GOOD.

VS

Most Liked Negative Review

Good, but not great.

First, let me state that the quality of workmanship on mine was breathtaking. It was flawless, and stunningly beautiful (burnt cherry burst). I didn't even want to touch it because it was...Read complete review

First, let me state that the quality of workmanship on mine was breathtaking. It was flawless, and stunningly beautiful (burnt cherry burst). I didn't even want to touch it because it was too pretty. After a few days of playing it, something in the trem would buzz when I gave the low E a good pluck - couldn't figure out what it was but it went away after I worked the whammy for a bit. That's why I gave it a 9. For this kinda cash I don't find any little buzz like that to be acceptable. It's finicky to tune, too, reminding me of my old strat. I'm disappointed with the Floyd Rose - seems a little crappy.The neck absolutely sucks with the back being painted, and your hand will really drag on it. I have to dust my palm with a little talc to slip well. It's still new, but I don't find the neck particulary "fast" making this any kind of shredding machine.The sound is superb, being very equally balanced across all strings. But you don't get any tone you want as far as I'm concerned. I'm not thrilled with the location of the volume knob, either.If you have a lot of cash to shred, yeah, buy it, but look around first for something that feels right in your hand. You may find something that suits you better. This guitar is not perfect.

When I first took this guitar out of the case, the first thing that hit me was that the ebony on the fretboard was dry as a bone. Very, very dry. Before restringing (which I ALWAYS do to a brand new guitar) I gave it 2 treatments with Dunlop Fingerboard Deep Conditioner. It sucked the first application up like nobody's business, and I let the 2nd, heavier application sit for about 5 minutes. When I wiped it dry I was greeted with a beautiful piece of ebony.I strung it with Dunlop 9-46's, set up the Floyd, and plugged it in. Tone, tone, tone. This thing has BEAUTIFUL tone. Neck profile, is, as one reviewer said, perfect for those like me who are used to playing Les Pauls. Not quite as thin as the usual Jackson shred-profile, but very comfortable to play nonetheless. The floyd is indeed very responsive, and the routing is adequate to bottom your strings on the fretboard and then some! Sustain is excellent. I have the action adjusted extremely low with almost no fret buzz. All electronics function perfectly. Many don't like the position of Jackson's volume knob, and this guitar is no exception with the knob placed even more in the way than usual. However, it makes volume adjustments on the fly VERY easy if you adjust your technique.Build quality is OUTSTANDING. The control cavity and spring covers are actually made of brushed aluminum, a very cool touch. All electronics function perfectly. Genuine mother-of-pearl inlays, with very nice swirl and figure. Jackson has always impressed me with their attention to detail and quality, even on lower-end guitars. The only thing it could benefit from is a coil tap on the bridge humbucker, hence the 4.5 on features. A little pricey, but you get what you pay for!This is a very nice guitar, but take note that it probably will not be set up out of the box. Guitar manufacturers do not fully set up their instuments, they leave that to you, and/or your guitar tech of choice. That way it will be just how you like it. So if your strings buzz, that doesn't mean it's a piece of junk, OK?

I went for the burnt cherry finish as I needed a guitar that had a "slightly" conservative look due to the broad musical styles I play. To be honest I was not really thrilled with the pictures of this finish online so had my fingers firmly crossed when I opened the case. The guitar looked incredible, not the "orangey" color pictured online, but a beautiful fire red stain burst over a burnt orange - the depth of flaming on the cap when catching the sunlight makes the finish Burn like fire. The Jackson logo and inlays were highly figured mother of pearl which set off the aesthetics beautifully.The neck needed adjustment twice (as we live in the mountains about 4500 feet up in the Arizona Air ( y-know - right next to the sun)- so, no surprise there, but this guitar has acclimated well and has since needed no further setup. The action is beautiful and there is lots of room on the fretboard for 80's style Gary Moore string bends. Very stable tuning after the strings have stretched. The Original Floyd Rose is Highly responsive for both subtle and exaggerated note inflections. The neck profile is different to the SL3 I own - in fact - comparing the SL1 and the SL3 side-by-side there really is no comparison between the two. These are completely different guitars.Being a Les Paul Fan, The tone is what was most important to me and I was Ecstatic with the sound of this SL1. Timbre and tone; I was expecting a slightly better sounding guitar than the SL3 - what I got was Les Paul type timbre and tone which is EXACTLY what I was searching for but never expected to find.Sustain? You Bet. And all you will ever need, Bright shimmering highs, soulful mids and well defined lows. Excellent note definition on Every Single Note on the neck (this is very rare) excellent harmonic response, this guitar is an all around champ for everything I play.Quickly playing between a Les Paul Custom to a Jackson SL3 your hand hovers off the back of the neck - as the neck on the SL3 is So thin and wide. The Neck on the SL1 is chunkier with a better feel in the hand if you are used to playing a Les Paul (which I am).The switching, tone and volume controls are very tight and responsive, very high end electronics - quality all the way here.Overall the SL1 is almost perfect. I say Almost as I am incredibly hard to please and this guitar has come as close to a perfect 5 as I have ever found. Well Done Jackson. A Beautiful and Real "Instrument" at a reasonable price.For those without a bottomless guitar budget - you are not alone - I spent years saving for this guitar and I begrudge Jackson not a single penny - Well worth the financial sacrifice.Guitars I own: Hamer Californian, Jackson SL3, Jackson Fusion Standard. Jackson DKMG, Les Paul Custom, LTD EC 1000, Ibanez RGT 42DXFM, Charvel Model 4, Charvel Model 7..... For my needs - The SL1 is a better "all round" guitar than any of these... Rest in Peace Les Paul. Thanks for your lifetime contribution to our dreams.

body and everything on my erie guitar is amazing.Found out that the erie swirl isn't called erie for some weird reason. the pickups are Duncans but they can't compare to PAF Dimarzio's so even still the guitar is ok. the frets buzz a bit so i gotta tweak around with the guitar a bit but other than that the guitar is pretty awesome.

Stellar guitar, crushes all others, even for Blues, Country, just anything. The sustain of the neck-through goes on foreever, yet there is clear note delineation on fast runs. At first I was a little reluctant since it was so tied to the 80s, but man, I can do anything on this, and it can sound like anything you want. From a Fender Strat playing Texas Blues down to a LP for rock, metal, or otherwise. I got the cherry sunburst to add a little sophistication.Nothing better for any genre. You can play anything with this.Solid quality wood selection, beautiful fit and finish. Destroys the LP Standard that I bought two years ago which will now be going on evil bay. The string tension on the Soloist feels like a 24.75 scale, nice and supple. Sits perfectly on my should, just feels right.I suppose it could be cheaper, but it's made in the USA, and of solid components.

I challenge you to find a better guitar...because you simply won't. I have been playing guitar for years, I play ALL styles of music, and this Jackson simply covers everything I'll ever need from a guitar. The pickups and electronics are flawless, and allow you to get every possible tone you would ever want. The floyd rose trem stays in tune perfectly, and it plays smoother than most custom shop guitars that cost twice as much. The first time I plugged this guitar in (I use a Peavey 5150), the versatility of the pickups hooked me instantly, and the tonality of its poplar and maple neck-through construction were mindblowing. The only possible complaint I could have is that it comes strung with VERY light strings, and changing them requires setup, but this is just a personal preference. I have yet to find a better guitar.

I own more guitars than I can put down here. But my Jackson's and charvels are by far my best. Mainly my sl1 guitars. From looks to perfect weight, quarter sawn neck. Ebony fretboard and of course the original Floyd. These guitars were huge in the 80s but they still hang around now. The build quality and overall sound is unmatchable imo. They can handle any genre of music with ease. They are the original superstrats that all the others try to be(esp,shector,kramer). But none can match a true USA jackson guitar in any category and for the 2 grand or so price being a lot. You get a lot for 2 grand in a jackson. There are guitars that are 3 grand (JEM) which I also own that cannot come close to quality, sound and looks as a jackson.

I bought two of these guitars in the 90's, one has the pile o' skulls graphic and the other has the lightning sky ( I think that's what it was called) I paid somewhere around two grand for both of them back then if you can believe it. Unless I am starving or need some urgent medical proceedure, I don't think I will ever part with my SL1's. A lot of things are subjective about guitars but suffice to say that these are some wonderful instruments.

I bought my SL-1 in 1995. Little did I know how good this guitar was. The pick ups back then where a Bill Lawerence XL-500 bridge, @ 2 jackson designed single coils. Pretty lame combo. Over the years I tried many different pickups before settling on my final configuration of a Dimazario X2N bridge and 2 Dimarzio HS3. This is the perfect setup for this guitar. A steve vai( he used X2N early in his career) and 2 Malmsteens (again early in his career). The pick ups work well together, no volumne drops or jumps. My guitar is fine blue metallic over white. Very durable finish,it still looks brand new 17 years later. Frets have almost no wear on them,very hard. Flawless fret work,not a single dead spot.I installed gibson volume and tone pots, switched to strat knobs and reversed the position of the volume and tone. Rolling the tone is more important than volume.I also ran a ground wire from my pot to the tremelo spring claw to eliminate hum when not touching the floyd. Over the years I have owned countless guitars from every brand and none have surpassed the Jackson for ease of playability. This will be one of your fastest. My 2012 Les Paul custom classic is just as fast but with a different feel. I really enjoy going back and forth between them. Guitars come and go but after 17 years nothing has dethroned the Jackson and never will. ITS THAT GOOD.

Being a professional player for more than 20 years I have played hundreds of guitars from old 60 strats to modern Japanese instruments. This guitar is by far the best I have played period. Silkly smooth frets, low action (with no fret buzz), awesome tone, and sustain. The neck is superfast and takes a delicate touch to really untilize the speed and dexterity this neck was made for.

I walked into a guitar shop wanting to get an Ibanez Jem. I saw the SL1 on the wall, and after reading the reviews here I was mixed because of the few cases of a bad apple of a soloist falling into the hands of a good guitarists. I tried this guitar, and then I tried the Jem. This won. The Jackson felt better in my hands, had a faster neck, it's tremolo held up better (and I've had experiences with ESPs with the Floyd Rose so it was easy for me to change strings on), and the looks blew it away. It is no wonder Steve Vai played a Soloist before he switched to Ibanez (look on his website for proof)! The Jem only had better pickups, but the Duncans sound great on their own. Still I prefer the Dimarzios, so I swapped them out for a D sonic in the bridge and two YJM single coils. Now it sounds great. Neck through allows for singing sustain and killer fret access, the neck profile feels great, and Floyd stays in tune no matter what you do to it. Eerie dess swirl, which is what mine is in, looks great under the light. Just an amazing guitar. I am always going to play Jackson guitars from now on. Never anything else.

The Jackson Soloist has the world's fastest neck, best sustain and most features of any guitar money can buy. Prices here are quite reasonable for what you get. I own two of these, a Soloist Pro (made about 10 years ago in the Japan factory) and a USA SL-1. Both are superb guitars with the nod going to the model here, the USA, for best overall tone. The Japanese guitars have now been cost-reduced and the USA is presently the best. Do yourself a favor and get the SL-1 if you want a soloist. This is the Real Thing, the guitar that put Jackson on the map. The tones range from the raw stacked single coil sound (but with lower noise and hum as a result), the super humbucker sound you get in positions 2 and 4 which is great for mellower sound, and the cutting tone from the bridge pickup with full humbucker drive. If I was down to just a single guitar, this would be it. One note is in order; the double-locking trem system is a pain to string or change gauges on. Try to go at least with 10's on this guitar, 11's if you want best tone and sustain. Bigger strings, up to a point, make any guitar sound better. With 11's you get it all. This is my Ultimate Axe. I'm going to get another, and probably another after that. They're that good.

I had a USA Soloist a few years back and I loved that guitar. The fit and finish (eerie dess swirl)was superb. I had fun using the floyd for Van Halen/ Slayer divebombs and getting feedback from the amp. There were some problems, though. The high e sting kept breaking at the nut and I had a problem keeping the floyd in tune. I consulted a guitar tech and he suggested sanding down the metal on the back of the nut where string goes to the tuner. I used a light sand paper and started using 10's and the e string stopped breaking. I was never able to solve the tuning problem and ultimately sold the guitar (lack of room being the need to pare down my collection). If I had the choice, I would get another, a black SL2. Or maybe custom order a firebird style with the same specs.

May not have the brand-name recognition of Gibson and Fender but this guitar blows them away. The pickups allow for all types of music from metal to jazz. seriously. The tremolo is typical Floyd Rose magic and the heel-less neck must be played to believe, you'll wonder how you ever played a Gibson or Fender before.

I have been shredding these axes for over a decade. I own two and they are superb top of the line instruments well worth the money. I have one from 1998 and it plays perfectly. beautiful neck it seems to adapt to you. Thank you Jackson guitars for such a perfect instrument.

I've owned enough guitars to have bought four of these, and now that I've played one, I can say that I'm an idiot for not owning one. A USA Soloist is the Cadillac of metal guitars and the only one that really gets the job done. I own a ton of metal guitars, including an imported SL-3, and none of them holds a candle. When you want that quintessential metal "crunch" and a pale imitation won't do, it's time to drop $2K and get the real thing.

This guitar is everything I expected and more. By far the best guitar I've ever owned. Extremely reliable. The Floyd Rose is amazing. I've had this guitar for about a year now and have used it in all my live shows. Amazing tone. Buy it!!!

I hate to agree with everyone else but this guitar is amazing. I own a Les Paul Standard and an Ibanez S-series prestige from the early 90's and this guitar is the stuff dreams are made of. The craftsmanship on this guitar is FLAWLESS. It is way ahead of my Les Paul and I payed double for the Gibson. the Floyd Rose does not go out of tune if you know how to set it up and the neck feels.... how else can you describe it but soft? The neck melts into your hands. I can't bring myself to play any of my other guitars because they just can't compare. Get one of these and you'll never regret it!!

The soloist is the supreme Jackson. I've played for a while and the SL series holds its ground against most if not all other guitars of its type. I've got a DK-2 also and the differences between that guitar and the Soloist are incredible. The Soloist truly lets you play it without presenting any obstacles. To get something straight though. A Jackson soloist CANNOT dup a GIBSON. A Les Paul can do things this one can't. You guys saying that the soloist can play any kind of music are right. It has a fretboard and pickups, so why couldn't it? Let's watch the biased reviews though. Just 'cause you own one doesn't mean its the best. I use the SL as a backup to an LP Standard Premium Plus through a Blue Voodoo. I was a guitarist at the University of North Texas and I would have gotten laughed at if I got on stage to play in my combo with the SL. The Paul, though, really can do Jazz very well, and rock/metal even better in my opinion. Back to the point though. Jackson USA kicks the crap out of ESP Japan (LTD isn't even worth typing about). The SL series is a pro-level rockin line of guitars.

I have been playing for 20+ years, and have owned many guitars. I have always wanted an Eerie Dess Swirl soloist, but always back burnered it got more 'well rounded' guitars. This was a mistake, this guitar has such a range of tones, feel, play-ability, and stage presence. I wish I had bought this years and years ago.

Further, I had not been able to find much about current production versions of this guitar, most of the reviews here are 10+ years old. So let me make clear, this guitar in current production is just as good as ever, and even improvements that aren't listed. STAINLESS STEEL FRETS!!!! When I opened the case and saw that I was soooo happy!

Colors of the Eerie Dess Swirl, you will stare for hours. Well worth the extra cost!

Anyways, dont delay, get this amazing super strat and start shredding! I love it more than my kid.